Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Mauli the Muse

According
to the dictionary, a muse is a guiding spirit, one who inspires an artist or
writer. Most of you know I dubbed our Labrador Retriever, Mauli the Muse,
simply because she parked her big hairy self directly behind my office chair
while I wrote six books. It was easier to keep on writing than to get her to
move. She even had her own byline in my newsletter, News from the Muse.

Sadly,
Mauli has crossed the Rainbow Bridge where, I trust, she will be waiting for us
someday. (If not, I plan to cancel my reservations) A week has passed since her
unexpected death. We miss her terribly but know the pain will pass and we’ll be
left with eleven years of wonderful memories. Joyful rolling on the beach. Licking
the very last morsel from an empty peanut butter jar. The dog wedding!

Can
I write without my muse? Yes. Remember, a muse is a guiding
spirit and her spirit is still with me along with the tufts of black fur
remaining in my office.

My sister said it best. “No dog ever had a better
life.” That statement has comforted me beyond belief. To that I would add, “No
family ever had a better dog.”